Shipping containers



May 12, 1964 A.A. MlNloN 3,132,792

SHIPPING CONTAINERS Filed June 26, 1961 United States Patent O "ice 3,132,792 SHIPPING CONTAINERS Aaron A. Minion, Minneapolis, Minn., assigner to Minne- Sota Mining andV Manufacturing' Company, St. Paul', Minn., a corporation of Delawarev Filed June 26; 1961, Ser. No.-119,645 5 Claims. (Cl. 229-23) This inventionrelates to shipping containers, particularly corrugated cartons having recessed ends, and to blanks for' theA use in the manufacture of such cartons.

One ofthe common forms-of shipping containers is known'as a recessed-end carton, which typically has a four-sided body and two inset ends formed from end caps positioned snugly within the polygon defined by the inner surfaces of the sides. Each end cap has tabs which lie against the inner walls of the carton and extend'n'early to the end thereof, and'each side panel is provided with an integral flap, which is bent over the corresponding tab and extends toward the center of the carton. The' individual sandwiches of iap, tab, and side panel are thenstapled together, thus insetting, or recessing, the ends. Cartons of this type have great resistance to-edge drop because'of the strengthening effect provided by the multiple thicknesses at the ends, and-the need for expensive interior padding is reduced. The` strength and/orV inner dimensions of a given carton can be varied quite greatlymerely by varying the strength and/or dimensions of the tabs on the end cap.

Despite their advantages, conventional recessed-end cartons suffer from drawbacks which have seriously restricted their widespread use. For example, if the body is formed from one or more blanks subdivided by creases -into a total number of side panels exceeding by at least one the number of sides of the carton, atleast two of the side panels overlap throughout their length. Where the side panels overlap, the tab of the end cap is sandwiched between a ilap and two carton walls instead of between a ilap and one carton Wall; Not only is stapling more diiilcult, but the end is also bulky, flared, and non-uniform in strength; In addition, a drastic attack on the carton is necessary to open it suiciently to-remove the contents.

Because of the problems associated with cartons of the type described in the preceding paragraph, most presently commercial recessed-end cartons are formed from a blank in whichthe total-number of side panels equalsthe number of carton sides, the raw corner where the two edges meet being provided with a strip of tape extending along the entire length of the'cartonprior to loading. Although such cartons are neat in appearance, they are expensive, awkward to load, and subject toy being crushed during stacking or shipping Cylindrical tubular" cartons are still more expensive, equally hard to load, awkward to stack, and inconvenient to open. p

I have now devised a novel recessed-end carton which retains all the advantages possessed by prior art recessed-` end cartons and simultaneously overcomes the defects inherent in such prior art structures. The recessed-end is easily fabricated, and the strength it possesses is equal in all directions. At no place is the end closure obtained by fastening through more than threeV layers of material, thus r resulting in a conveniently storable crush-resistant carton having straight non-flaring ends. My carton can be con- .veniently loaded and readily opened to gainacces to its contents. In a particularly preferred embodiment of my aware.

In accordance with my invention I provide one or more carton blanks for forming the polygonal crosssectioned body of a carton, each blank being subdivided Yinvention, I prepare a full-telescoping carton having recessed ends, a totally novelconcept, so far as' I am 3,132,792 Patented May` 12, 1 964 into a number of side panels by means of conventional creases. The number of side panels exceeds the 4number of carton sides by at least one, at least two of the panels thus substantially overlapping each other. The inner-of each pair'of overlapping panels is foreshortened ateach end by an. amount equal to at least about the width of the end flap which is an integral part of each outer panel. This arrangement avoids the. previous problem of excess bulk atthe recessed. end by eliminatingthat portion of the inner panel previously incorporated into the end closure while retaining a sturdy package resistant to shipping injury. My. novel structure isextremely simple-to open, thus greatly enlarging the utility of recessed-end cartons.

The attached drawings will aid inunderstandingrny invention. In these drawings: y

FIGURE l is a blank for. forming the'body of a fulltelescoping recessed-end: carton;

FIGURE 2 is a blank for forming the cover of afulltelescoping.. recessed-end carton;

FIGURE 3 is one of' two identical end cap blanks to be used in conjunction with the blanks of FIGURES 1 and'2 informing afull-telescoping recessed-end carton;

FIGURE 4 is an assembled full-telescoping recessedend carton, partially cut away. to aid in understanding its constructional features, showingthe manner in which it is opened;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-.sectional view of one end of the carton in FIGURE 4 prior to opening, taken along the section lines 5 5; and

FIGURE 6 is a tive-panel folder blank for forming a recessed-end square cross-section carton embodying the principles of my invention.

With particular reference to the structure shown in FIGURES 1-5 inclusive, the body blank. of FIGURE l, formed froma-sheet of corrugated board, is subdivided by crease lines I3-into three tetragonal panels, viz., rectangular. bottom panel 10 and. trapezoidal side panels 1-1 and 12. Panel lil-is also delineatedl by double crease lines 14 from integral aps 10a and 1Gb. Panels 11' and llzaretshorter than panel 10 ateach end by an amount at least equal tobut not substantially greaterV than the distance flaps 10a and 10b-'extend beyond crease lines 14. Tear strip 15- provides a convenient means for'the consumer to open the carton. In similar manner the cover blank shown in FIGURE 2 is subdivided by crease lines 23 into top` panel 20. and side panels 21 and. 22, each having corresponding integral flaps 20a, Ztlb, 21a, 2lb, 22a and 22b, from which. they are delineated. by double crease. lines. 24. For reasons` which will shortly become apparent, double crease lines 14 and 24 are preferably spaced apart a distance. approximately equal to the thickness of the material. from which the end cap blanks are formed. Panel Ztl-is wider than panel 1i) by about twice the thickness of the material. from which the latter is formed-g 4similarly panels 21 and 22. are wider than. panels 11 and 12 by about a single thickness. The end cap lblank of FIGURE 3 comprises central portion 30 and L the material to be packaged placed onv panel 10. Panels 11v and'12 are then bent' upwards at approximately 90- 65,

ging panels 21 and 22 at approximately 90 downward A cover, formed from the blank of FIGURE 2 by bendalong crease lines 23,. is then positioned over the body.

The resultant rectangular cross-sectioned carton body is Y heldin position by strips of pressure-sensitive adhesive cap blank of FIGURE 3 is now formed by bending tabs Stia-d upward at 90 along crease lines 31 and placing it inside one end of the carton in such a manner that the tabs point toward the open end of the carton with their,

outer extremities positioned along the inner line of double crease lines 14 and 24. Flaps 10a, 20a, 21a and 22a are then bent over tabs Sila, 30h, 30C and 59d so as to grip the tabs between the taps and the corresponding carton side panel, double crease 14 and 2d assuring a neat appearance; where the end cap is comparatively thin or where neatness is not of prime importance single crease lines may be used. The three layers of material are then fastened together with staples i0 and the entire procedure repeated with a second end cap at the opposite end of the carton. It will be noted that in this assembly side panels 11 and l2 of the body of the carton are not incorporated in the end closure. This construction avoids the nuisance of stapling through an extra layer of material along the two sides of the carton, provides a uniformly strong closure, and obviates haring of the ends. The resulting carton is readily opened, as shown in FIGURE 4, by cutting tape strips 41 and utilizing tear strip 15 to sever body panel 10. The entire body of the carton may then be swung outward, the tapered ends of trapezoidal side panels l1 and 12 readily swinging clear or the end closure, to permit easy removal of the contents.

Cartons of the type illustrated in FIGURES lare useful in shipping carpets, wide rolls of adhesive tape, linoleum, and many other materials. Cartons having outer dimensions of about 16% inches X S5/s inches x 573/5 inches long, the body and end caps being made from 20G-lb. C flute corrugated board and the cover being made from 275-lb. C tlute corrugated board, have been found to provide superior protection for nests of endless coated abrasive belts having a length of 243 inches and a width of 50 inches. A single size body and cover blanks may be formed into cartons which willaccommodate narrower belts if end caps having suitably longer tabs are employed.

The blank shown in FIGURE 6 constitutes a modification of the well-known live-panel folder. The blank is subdivided by crease lines'dS into tetragonal side panels 60, 61, 62, 63 and 64, panels 61-54 inclusive having integral end ilaps 61a and G15-64a and 64b corresponding to the panels with which they are associated but delineated therefrom by crease lines 66. The difference between this blank and the conventional blank used for making a live-fold carton lies in the fact that panel 6) is shorter than panels 6l-64 at each end by an amount slightly greater than the distance tlaps dla and lli-64a and b extend eyondk crease line 66. In forming a recessed-end carton from a blank of the type shown in FIGURE 6, the blank is bent at 90 along crease lines 65 to form a hollow body having a square cross-section, panels 60 and 64 overlapping, with panel 64 on the outside, tape strips being used to hold the body together at the juncture of panels 61 and 64. End caps of the type shown in FIG- URE 3 (except, of course, for the fact that the central portion is square) are now inserted in each end of the carton and stapled in the same mannerA described in connection with FIGURES l-S inclusive. The resulting square cross-sectioned carton has the same number of thicknesses of material onfeach of the four sides of the recessed end and is consequently far easier to form into a recessed-end carton than would be a traditional tive-panel folder, in which panel 60 would be the same size as panels 61-64. A carton formed from a blank of the type shown in FIGURE 6 is readily opened by severing the tape strips and cutting through panel 61 just'inside both end caps, thereby permitting panels 60 and 61 to swing open in the manner of a conventional box of envelopes.

Blanks analogous to thelve-panel folder of FIG- URE 6 but having additional foreshortened panels may also be formed into recessed-end rectangular cross-sec- Vand said panel.

l tion cartons with increased rigidity. A foreshortened sleeve may be placed within a set up folder to achieve similar strengthening.V Cartons having other than a tetragonal cross-section may be similarly formed by varying the number of panels which have flaps. Modifications of the structures herein described to produce such cartons are well within the skill oi anyone in the packaging industry having the teachings of my invention before him.

Having disclosed my invention l do not intend to be limited in any manner other than by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A recessed-end carton having two ends anda plurality of sides, the sides in cross-section taken at right angles to an imaginary line between the midpoints of the ends defining a polygon, said sides being formed from a plurality of panels, the number of said panels exceeding by at least one the number of sides of said carton and at least two of said panels being superposed and substantially overlapping, each outer panel having a lap at each end integral therewith but delineated therefrom by a crease line extending parallel to the end of the carton, each overlapped inner panel being shorter than its corresponding outer panel at each end by an amount equal to at least the distance between said crease line and the end of said ilap, an end' piece having a polygonal central portion essentially identical in size and shape to the polygon dened by the inner faces of said outer panels and positioned snugly therewithin parallel to each of the ends of said outer panels, said polygonal central portion being delineated by crease lines from sharply upturned integral tabs, each tab extending toward and terminating near the corresponding end of the outer panels and lying parallel to and in contact with one of said outer panels, each flap being folded back parallel to the panel with which it is integral so as to snugly grip a tab between said flap and said panel.

2. A. recessed-end carton having two ends and four sides, said sides being formed from at least five panels, at least two of said panels being superposed and substantially overlapping, each outer panel having a flap at each end integral therewith but delineated therefrom by a crease line extending parallel to the end of the carton, each overlapped inner panel being shorter than its corresponding outer panel at each end by an amount equal to at least the distance between said crease line and the end of said flap, an end piece having a rectangular central portion essentially identical in size and shapeto the rectangle defined by the inner faces of said outer panels .Y

and positioned snugly therewithin parallel to each of the ends of said outer panels, said central portion being delineated by crease lines from sharply upturned integral tabs, each tab extending toward and terminating near the corresponding end of the outer panels and lying parallel to and in contact `with one of said outer panels, each flap being folded back parallel to the panel with whichv it is integral yso as to snugly grip a tab between said ilap 3. A full-telescoping readily openable recessed-end cartonhaving two ends land four sides, said sides being formed from a body Vand a cover, said body comprising a bottom panel and two side panels bent upward at 90 thereto, said cover comprising a top panel and two side panels bent downward at 90 thereto, said cover being positioned snugly over said body so that theside panels of the cover substantially overlapthe side panels of the body," the four outer panels each having a ap at each end integral therewith but 'delineated therefrom by.a

crease line parallel to the end of the carton, the two side panels of the body each being shorter than the four outer panels by an amount equal to at least twice the distance between said crease line and the end ofV said liap, an'end cap having a rectangular central portion essentially identical in size and shape to the rectangle deined by the inner faces of the fourouter panels positioned snugly therewithin parallel to each of the ends of said outer panels, said rectangular central portion being delineated by crease lines from sharply upturned integral tabs, each tab extending toward and terminating near the corresponding end o f the outer panels and lying parallel to and in contact with one of said outer panels, each ap being folded back parallel to the panel with which it is integral so as to snugly grip a tab between said flap and said panel.

4. As a new article of manufacture adapted for use in forming a requisite body member of a polygonal crosssectioned open-ended carton body, said carton body being designed for conversion to a uniformly strong recessed-end carton having two ends and a plurality of sides by steps which comprise inserting at each end of said carton body a tab-bearing end piece having a polygonal central portion geometrically similar to and having substantially the same dimensions as the internal crosssection of said carton body, the body of said carton being formed from at least one but not more than two component members having a total number of panels exceeding by at least one the number of sides of said carton,

a foldable blank made from at containerboard subdivided by crease lines into at least three laterally adjoining creasefree tetragonal panels, at least one but fewer than all of said tetragonal panels having integral therewith at each end thereof a creasefree flap separated therefrom by a crease line, each end of each such flap-bearing panel extending beyond the corresponding end of each remaining panel by an amount approximately equal to the distance said flap extends beyond the crease line separating said flap and said hap-bearing panel, each said remaining panel adjoining a maximum of one flap-bearing panel. 5. As a new article of manufacture adapted for use, in conjunction with a 3-panel Hap-bearing cover member and two tab-bearing rectangular end pieces, in the formation of a readily openable uniformly strong fulltelescoping recessed-end carton having two ends and four sides, two of said sides being parallel and each being formed from a pair of substantially overlapping panels, a foldable body blank made from llat containerboard subdivided by two parallel crease lines into a creasefree rectangular bottom panel adjoined on each side by the Wider base of a trapezoidal side panel, said bottom panel having integral therewith at each end thereof a rectangular ilap separated from said bottom panel by a crease line, each end of said bottom panel extending beyond the corresponding end of each of said side panels by an amount approximately equal to the distance said ilap extends beyond the crease line separating it from said bottom panel.

Belsinger lune 29, 1957 Peel et al. July 12, 1960 

1. A RECESSED-END CARTON HAVING TWO ENDS AND A PLURALITY OF SIDES, THE SIDES IN CROSS-SECTION TAKEN AT RIGHT ANGLES TO AN IMAGINARY LINE BETWEEN THE MIDPOINTS OF THE ENDS DEFINING A POLYGON, SAID SIDES BEING FORMED FROM A PLURALITY OF PANELS, THE NUMBER OF SAID PANELS EXCEEDING BY AT LEAST ONE THE NUMBER OF SIDES OF SAID CARTON AND AT LEAST TWO OF SAID PANELS BEING SUPERPOSED AND SUBSTANTIALLY OVERLAPPING, EACH OUTER PANEL HAVING A FLAP AT EACH END INTEGRAL THEREWITH BUT DELINEATED THEREFROM BY A CREASE LINE EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE END OF THE CARTON, EACH OVERLAPPED INNER PANEL BEING SHORTER THAN ITS CORRESPONDING OUTER PANEL AT EACH END BY AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO AT LEAST THE DISTANCE BETWEEN SAID CREASE LINE AND THE END OF SAID FLAP, AN END PIECE HAVING A POLYGONAL CENTRAL PORTION ESSENTIALLY IDENTICAL IN SIZE AND SHAPE TO THE POLYGON DEFINED BY THE INNER FACES OF SAID OUTER PANELS AND POSITIONED SNUGLY THEREWITHIN PARALLEL TO EACH OF THE ENDS OF SAID OUTER PANELS, SAID POLYGONAL CENTRAL PORTION BEING DELINEATED BY CREASE LINES FROM SHARPLY UPTURNED INTEGRAL TABS, EACH TAB EXTENDING TOWARD AND TERMINATING NEAR THE CORRESPONDING END OF THE OUTER PANELS AND LYING PARALLEL TO AND IN CONTACT WITH ONE OF SAID OUTER PANELS, EACH FLAP BEING FOLDED BACK PARALLEL TO THE PANEL WITH WHICH IT IS INTEGRAL SO AS TO SNUGLY GRIP A TAB BETWEEN SAID FLAP AND SAID PANEL. 